FD-258 Fingerprint Card & FBI Submission

Used for

Requesting an FBI Identity History Summary

We can handle it?

Yes — we guide or capture the prints

Apostilled on its own?

No — the resulting FBI report is what gets apostilled

Also known as

FD-258, fingerprint card, ink fingerprinting, tenprint card

The FD-258 is the standard fingerprint card used to request an FBI background check. It is not apostilled on its own — it's the input that produces the FBI Identity History Summary, which is the document foreign authorities actually want authenticated.

This page covers how the fingerprinting step works and why it's the most common cause of delay. If you want the finished apostilled report, start at our FBI background check apostille page.

What the FD-258 fingerprint card is

The FD-258 is the FBI's standard tenprint card — a physical card capturing rolled and flat impressions of all ten fingers, plus identifying information. The FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division uses those prints to search its records and produce your Identity History Summary. Prints can also be captured and submitted electronically through an FBI-approved channeler, which is usually faster.

Why the card itself isn't apostilled

An apostille authenticates a completed federal document. The fingerprint card isn't a finished record — it's a request. The document foreign authorities want is the completed FBI Identity History Summary, and that's what gets the apostille from the U.S. Department of State.

How prints are captured

There are two routes. Electronic (live scan) submission through an FBI-approved channeler is typically fastest, with results often back in days. Physical FD-258 cards are used when live scan isn't available — including for applicants abroad — and are mailed to the FBI or a channeler.

If we're obtaining your FBI report, we guide this step so the submission is accepted the first time. Palm Beach County clients can have prints captured at our West Palm Beach office, which is the one location where we handle FBI background checks end to end.

Why fingerprints get rejected

The FBI rejects a submission when it can't reliably classify the prints. The usual causes:

• Smudged or over-inked impressions — too much ink fills the ridge detail.
• Incomplete rolls — each finger has to be rolled nail-edge to nail-edge.
• Worn ridge detail — common with age, manual trades, or certain medical conditions.
• Wrong card or format — a photocopied or non-standard card isn't accepted.
• Missing or mismatched identifiers — name, date of birth, and required fields must be complete and consistent.

Getting the card right

• Use an official FD-258 card — not a photocopy or scan.
• Have prints taken by someone experienced (a law-enforcement agency, licensed fingerprinting provider, or our office).
• Complete every required identifying field, exactly matching your ID.
• Don't fold, staple, or mark the card.
• Keep a spare set — having a second card taken at the same visit saves weeks if one is rejected.

The step-by-step process

1. Tell us what you need

   We confirm whether you need the FBI report, the apostille, or both — and which fingerprinting route fits your situation.

2. Prints are captured

   Electronically through an approved channeler, or on a physical FD-258 card. We guide this step so it's accepted the first time.

3. Submission to the FBI

   Your prints go to the FBI's CJIS Division, directly or through an approved channeler.

4. FBI Identity History Summary issued

   The FBI produces your report — the document that actually gets apostilled.

5. We apostille the report

   We hand-deliver it to the U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications, and return it apostilled — with embassy legalization and translation where required.

Common rejection reasons — and how to avoid them

Common uses

• Work visas abroad — where a criminal background check is required.
• Residency and immigration applications — long-stay visas commonly require an FBI check.
• Foreign adoption — adoption authorities almost always require one.
• Professional licensing overseas — teaching, nursing, and other regulated professions.
• Applicants living abroad — where a physical FD-258 card is mailed in rather than live-scanned.

Official references: FBI — Identity History Summary Checks · FBI — Approved Channelers. Government fees are set by these agencies and are separate from our service fee.